There are many applications in which it is desirable to be able to reduce the cost of construction and assembly of components and structures in electronic devices by combining the functions of multiple devices into a single structure. For example, in a hand-held portable computer, the display is often directly integrated directly into the computer housing. Thus, the hand-held computer may be made smaller, more portable and more rugged by having a single unit serving as the housing for the computer circuit boards and for the display.
In addition, it is often desirable to be able to reduce manufacturing costs by producing a single structure which simultaneously serves multiple functional purposes. For example, since an electromagnetic shielding device and an antenna must both be made of a material having a high conductivity (e.g., metal), economies of production may be realized by fabricating both the shield and the antenna from a single piece of material, thereby reducing the number of steps in required to be performed in the fabrication and assembly processes.